


In Cold Blood

by EternalLoveZeki



Category: Vampire Knight (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-09 02:09:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16441013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternalLoveZeki/pseuds/EternalLoveZeki
Summary: The illustrious Kuran family is thrown into disarray when the crown princess disappears under suspicious circumstances. Will she ever be found?





	1. Prologue

“Are you ready for your bedtime story, little miss?” The old woman asked the little girl running happily around the room at her feet. The child stopped in front of her nanny, chocolate coloured eyes gazing up at her.

“Isn’t daddy coming to read me my story?”

“Unfortunately, your daddy is very busy.”

“He’s been busy for forever!” The little girl huffed, folding her arms.

“It does seem that way, doesn’t it? I’m sorry that he can’t be here to read to you.”

“It’s fine, I guess.” She quickly perked up and reached her arms up in a universal gesture to which the woman complied. She settled the fickle little girl on her lap before picking up a large picture book and opening it up in front of her excited eyes.

“Now, once upon a time, there lived two races. The vampires and the humans. For millennia, the humans willingly gave their blood to the vampires, who needed it to survive. The vampires were grateful for their sacrifice. However, one day, the cruel humans stopped providing their blood.”

“Did it hurt when they were bited?” The young girl interrupted suddenly.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Because it hurted when I got bit.” She supplied.

“Vampires and humans are different, young one.”

“But they look like they hurt…” 

The old woman kissed the girls head affectionately. “Did you want to hear the story or not?”

“Yes, I want to!” The young brunette’s interruption had already been forgotten as she bounced up and down enthusiastically on her nanny’s lap. She continued.

“The vampires begged and begged the humans for their blood, but they did not give in. As the vampires grew more and more hungry, so the humans grew more and more divided. The kind humans stayed with the vampires in order to keep them alive, while the cruel humans created weapons to hurt them. A tremendous war was fought.”

“But why did they want to hurt vampires if they were only taking blood from humans who wanted to give it? The vampires weren’t going to hurt them, were they?” The young girl’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“Because they were cruel. They wanted the vampires to starve rather than take what little they needed to live.” The woman turned another page, distracting the child.  
“The war continued for many centuries, until finally, the vampires were successful. They forced the cruel humans off of their land, and they lived in harmony with the kind humans. The humans that surround us today are the ancestors of those humans.”

“But some humans aren’t happy with us. Do they still want to give us their blood?”

“Oh, they do. They just don’t show their feelings the same way we vampires do.”

“Where did the cruel humans go?”

“Nobody knows for sure. Some speculate that they were forced underground and that their descendants are still at large today.”

The child gazed up at her caretaker in wonder. Said caretaker gave her a kindly smile, before lifting her and tucking her into her bed. 

“Now, it’s time to go to sleep, little Yuuki.” 

Yuuki yawned, the excitement of the night catching up to her. She was soon fast asleep, dreaming of the peaceful land in which vampires and humans coexisted.


	2. Chapter 1

Sixteen year old Yuuki Kuran took in the hustle and bustle of the crowded market place with an annoyed frown. Active vampires hurried around her, their human slaves following around behind them. Various stalls selling various useful items were set up all around the small square, crushing all attendees closer together than they probably wanted to be. At the far end, a makeshift stage had been put together, lights set up to draw attention to the area.

This was the area that had Yuuki irritated. Lined up along the stage were many humans, arranged for viewing by eager vampires. Men, women and children paraded around as potential slaves for the throngs; the stronger looking ones snapped up easily and the young children obviously taken for their blood, a delicacy. She had never been able to get behind vampires owning humans for any reason, though she was aware that she was in the minority.

Despite the fact that her family was in charge of vampire society as the monarchy, her elders felt that they weren't able to go against the will of the populace. Unfortunately, the populace simply enjoyed the luxury that having a human slave on hand provided them. She couldn't believe the bold audacity of vampire parents to teach their children that these humans were willing participants in this barbaric trade.

"Do we really have to be here?" She grumbled to her older brother, hands firmly placed on her hips as she watched the auctioneer on stage working his magic with each human brought forth.

"You know that we do. It's good to be shown getting involved." Kaname replied, the edge in his voice telling Yuuki that he felt the same way she did.

"I think we'd make a bigger statement by not being here." She huffed, folding her arms over her chest. Kaname chuckled at her childish action.

"I know you never enjoy this time of year, Yuuki." He patted her on the head, "I'm sorry you had to come along."

"It's not your fault." She mumbled, turning away from the stage as a vampire sampled the latest young slave before deciding on a purchase. She couldn't wait to go back home. Seeing the despair on the faces of captured humans being newly sold into a lifetime of slavery made her feel sick. She knew that there was nothing she could do about it, however.

"I wonder how mother and father would feel if we bought all of them?" Kaname mumbled to her, making her laugh a little. It was a thought that had crossed her mind several times. However, Yuuki knew that her uncle would not approve. He was very much for vampire's remaining in perfect control.

"They'd probably return them."

"Ah! Lady Yuuki and Lord Kaname! Are you here to peruse our fine wares? Only the finest humans are available here!" Yuuki's folded arms tightened as a wave of anger wafted over her. She felt Kaname place a comforting hand on her arm.

"No, thank you. We must be on our way." Kaname replied diplomatically, turning away before the auctioneer could respond. Yuuki gratefully fell into step behind him.

"They can't just leave us out of it, can they?"

"Nope." Kaname turned to glance at her as a though crossed his mind. "Oh, are you ready for Hanabusa's visit this afternoon?"

"Ah!" Yuuki had been so preoccupied by her angry thoughts of this event that she had forgotten that Lord Aido, and by extension, her best friend Yori, were coming to their home.

"I thought not." He smiled lovingly at his scatter-brained younger sister.

"Come on, we have to go faster!" Yuuki ran past her brother, hoping that he would follow along with her example. Of course he would have already been ready for the visit, he was ready for everything. He could have reminded her beforehand so she didn't have to rush now, but he seemed to enjoy her bursts of panic.

"Oh, Yuuki, you're back." Yuuki faintly heard as she raced past her mother.

"No time, mother! Yori's coming!" She raced up the stairs to her room, hearing Juuri giggle softly and greet Kaname instead.

She had to look good for any reception of guests, but it was a different matter when the guests were friends of hers. She wanted to show them that she had put in her best effort for them. She dragged open her drawers and her wardrobe, almost ripping out her various outfits. She wasn't going to pick those that restricted her movement, for she still loved to be able to run at will, but she did have some rather stunning dresses that comfortably fit her needs.

Yuuki picked one out and checked it against the mirror, turning back and forth on the spot. She smiled. She was sure that Yori would like this one. Maybe she'd let her try some of these on later. While Yori wasn't usually the type to go gaga over pretty dresses, the fact that she was a human whom didn't really have the option to do so made it much more of a luxury for her.

Not that Hanabusa deliberately denied her the ability to wear them, but he was a lord, and he did have an image to uphold. He didn't particularly like it, but vampires thrived on their politics. It was the only way he could protect her.

She easily picked out some matching shoes, a similar elegant but comfortable pair that highlighted the nimbleness of her feet. She really would have to thank the cobbler for them; he had been given only a couple of days to design and produce this pair, and he had performed admirably. She couldn't quite remember the circumstances around the haste required, but it was probably something politically based. She hated being royalty sometimes.

She quickly tied up her hair in a practiced motion, placing a hair pin veil over it for a bit of extra decoration. She went back to the mirror, posing a little to test how she would look.

Happy with her outfit, she dashed back downstairs. She must have taken a little longer preparing her outfit than she had thought, because their guests were already inside greeting the rest of her family. She happily dashed forward to hug the cloaked brunette girl who stood behind her exuberant master.

"Oh, there you are Yuuki." She heard her father admonish from behind her.

"Yes, I didn't realise the time! Sorry about that!" She apologised before properly greeting her blond friend. "Did you have a long trip?"

"It really wasn't anything. We do travel a lot, after all."

Yuuki giggled at Hanabusa's haughty tone. Vampires who were able to travel a lot were usually very important, so she could understand the way he puffed out his chest when he spoke about it. She caught Yori placing her hand over her mouth, covering her own giggle.

"Come and sit. You must be tired." Kaname indicated the living room, where the plush sofa resided.

"It's really fine, Lord Kaname! I am as energetic as a puppy!" He placed his hands on his hip, a proud expression on his face. Yuuki didn't quite understand the level of Hanabusa's affection for her brother, but it was always amusing to watch, none the less.

"Still, you don't want to overdo yourself." Kaname responded with a kind smile on his face. Hanabusa quickly gave in.

"Alright, if you insist!" He sat himself down quickly, turning to Yori as a thought occurred to him. "Will you be alright lifting the luggage by yourself?"

"She'll be fine. That's what she's here for, is it not?" Rido butted in, a malicious grin on his face.

"Uncle!" Yuuki admonished. He really could be so rude sometimes.

"No, it's fine, Lady Yuuki. Lord Aido, I assure you that I'll be fine."

"Well, if you're sure." He mumbled, trying not to encourage anymore harsh comments from the eldest Kuran. As Kaname passed and blocked him from Rido's view, he gave her hand an affectionate squeeze. "When you're done, why don't you spend some time with Yuuki? Oh, if that's alright with you, Lord Haruka."

"Yes, of course." Haruka agreed with a friendly smile. Rido snorted.

"Why do you lower yourself to befriending humans?" He scoffed at Yuuki, who just gave him a biting look.

"Because humans aren't just mindless animals, Uncle. If you'll excuse me." She grabbed Yori's arm as she picked up the luckily quite small case and dragged her from the room.

"It's alright, Lady Yuuki. The rest of your family is nice." Yori told her serenely.

"I'm glad you're so understanding, Yori. I don't know why he's like that." They couldn't use his upbringing as an excuse, because the rest of the family had no such hard feelings towards humans.

"It's not like he's ever been nice to me before. Oh, I have a few things I was really hoping to buy today. It'll get us out of the house, so we won't run into Lord Rido again for a while. No that Lord Aido will be letting them go anytime soon."

"He won't mind you calling him by his name, you know. You can drop the Lady when we're alone, too." Yuuki smiled. She had only succeeded a couple of times in getting Yori to treat her as an equal, not as a superior.

"I mustn't forget my place! If I get too familiar, I might say the wrong thing at the wrong time." Yuuki considered her words. She was certainly no stranger to saying the wrong things. Obviously Yori was more sensible than she was.

"We're here. Drop off the case and we can get going!"

-Z-

"Look, look, Yori, this is so cute!" Yuuki held up a little plush wolf that had obviously been designed for young children. The large eyes and tiny nose gave it an extra edge of adorableness that Yuuki just couldn't resist.

"It is sweet. Are you going to buy it?" Yori asked with a smile. Yuuki considered for a minute.

"You can take that one with you if you like it, Lady Yuuki." The stall clerk said to her with a smile, causing Yuuki to turn to her with a panicked expression.

"Oh, no, I can't just take it! You worked so hard to make this!"

"And it's because I worked so hard to make it that I want you to have it." She said kindly, "I shan't accept any money from you!"

"Thank you!" Yuuki beamed happily. "I'll repay you in kind if you won't accept any money!"

The store clerk simply laughed. "You just keep smiling, Lady Yuuki. That is all I need."

Yuuki blushed deeply, clutching the small cat close to her chest. She nodded to the clerk and turned back to Yori, who was smiling mischievously at her.

"Well, well, aren't you popular?"

"I'm not as popular as Kaname…" She muttered. She couldn't get used to being so loved by the people as she was. She wasn't sure why she had gained so much popularity as she grew older either, but she was glad that she was liked rather than loathed. She changed the subject. "What did you want to buy, Yori?"

"There are a couple of books I've had my eye on for a while now. I think the stall is set up on the other side of town."

"Then let's go there next. I promise I won't get distracted again!" Yuuki wore a determined expression, before she covered her face with her new plush and raised the pitch of her voice. "I promise I'll keep her in line!"

Yori laughed, drawing a satisfied smile from her friend. Though the market had been set up fairly early for a vampire, it was still late for humans, and the sun was quickly setting. Yuuki didn't want Yori to be unable to see, so she linked her arm with her and pulled her along.

"Ah, Yuuki! What if the other vampires see you linking arms with me? Won't they be mad?"

Yuuki scowled. "They'll have to deal with it. If they say anything, I'll tell them I have permission to borrow you and I can do what I want. Don't worry, Yori. I won't let them touch you."

"It wasn't me I was worried about."

"Well, don't worry. I am the princess after all. They can't touch me."

Yuuki was brought to a halt by her friend, and was about to continue reassuring her when she saw that Yori's attention had been caught by something stuck to the red brick wall beside them. She focused her attention a little closer.

It was a wanted poster. They didn't have many of those around these parts, so the wanted criminal must have been someone important. She glanced up at the image provided. She almost felt her breath catch in her throat.

The man in the poster was, to put it lightly, attractive. He had a strong jawline with his mouth set firmly in a powerful line. His eyes were shining bright like amethysts, while his hair was a silver colour which she was sure gleamed in the sun. She couldn't help but think that it actually looked rather soft, too. He seemed to have a rebellious streak, as he had piercings covering his ears and a large tattoo on his neck. Now that she had had a good look at the image, she read the reason that he was so being so highly sought after.

Apparently, he was a prolific vampire hunter, who had slaughtered countless men, women and children. She thought she vaguely recognised the name that went with the image. Zero Kiryuu. She dragged her eyes away from the poster and back to her friend.

"Are you alright, Yori?" Did she maybe sympathise with him? It was well known that vampire hunters not only hated vampires, but fought for human liberation. Yori made no fuss about her captivity, but Yuuki was sure that she longed to be free. Maybe she was hoping that this man could save her?

Yori tore her own eyes away from the poster and smiled at her friend. "Yes. It's nothing, I'm sorry. Please don't look that way."

Yuuki's concerned look turned to a sad smile. How different things would be if Yori were a vampire noble like her master was. She wouldn't have to look at these images and wonder what a brighter future would look like.

"I'm really fine, Lady Yuuki. Let's get going to the book stall, shall we? It'll be dark soon!" This time, Yuuki was the one being dragged along by the cloaked figure of her best friend.

"You know what, Yori? You don't have to spend your money. I'll buy those books for you!"

"You don't have to do that!" Yori sounded startled. "I've been saving my money specifically for these!"

"It's fine, it's fine! Consider it a thank you for putting up with me for so many years."

"Putting up with you? Are you alright?"

"Yes, fine, fine!" Yuuki perked up. "I won't take no for an answer here! You are my best friend, after all!"

"Alright. Thank you, La—ah, Yuuki." She smiled at the pureblood beside her, who beamed in response.

"So, which ones did you want?"

"It was these two." Yori deftly pulled her desired books from the stall, the expression on her face telling Yuuki that she hadn't really expected them to be sold here. Yuuki dug through her pockets to pull out the required gold as Yori accepted the bag from the merchant.

The sun had fully set now, so after Yuuki paid the merchant, she took hold of Yori's hand; this time, she was simply going to guide Yori back to the manor. She grinned softly to herself when she felt Yori giving her an affectionate snuggle before they began to move.

Yuuki glanced into a little alleyway to see a young woman being pinned to the wall, moaning softly as a male vampire drank from her. She scowled a little. Did he really think that this was acceptable out here in public? She was glad that Yori wasn't able to see far in that direction. Only on the other side of them where the few working humans had lit their lanterns to find their way around in the dark.

"What was that noise?" Yori asked. She was fairly sure that she already knew, but Yuuki didn't want to confirm it.

"Don't worry about it." She whispered back, tugging her away as the man glanced back in their direction. The woman looked like she could barely stand. Yuuki hoped that he was one of those who treated his underlings' right.

With these thoughts weighing heavy on her mind, Yuuki pushed open the front door.

"He needs to be punished!"

"Please, calm down." Yuuki jumped a little at the angry voice. She gave Yori a look that told her to wait where she was and got a nod in response. She stepped forward into the room.

Her family was stood around a young, trembling boy who was on the ground, a piece of fresh bread in his hands. He looked to only be around eight or nine years old. Haruka looked to be holding back an angry Rido, who looked like he would quite happily murder his brother right there.

"We can't just allow slaves to steal whatever they feel like taking! We need to make an example of him, so that this isn't repeated." Her uncle stated.

"Surely we can talk about this…" Haruka tried to hold him back. Yuuki was sure that he would tear the young boy limb from limb if he got any closer to him.

"Rido, there's no need for this!" Juuri reprimanded her older brother, who simply glared back at her.

"If we show mercy here, they'll all be at it. Tomorrow, we make an example out of him. No arguments."

Haruka sighed in defeat. Yuuki glared at him.

"You can't seriously be okay with this?"

"It is customary to put rogues down. We can't allow this kind of behaviour here."

"He's only a young boy! You're planning on just killing him for a loaf of bread?"

"If he's allowed to continue, he will only get worse. Like the rest of his kind!" Rido glared her down. She looked around the others for support, but they seemed to have given in and wouldn't look at her. She gave each of them an angry glare.

"This is disgusting. I'm against it." She stormed past them all to her room, slamming the door behind her.

-Z-

Yuuki dangled a small, sapphire pendant in front of her face, considering her options. This was the only one of its kind in existence, made as a gift for her by Hanabusa, who was, after all, a genius. This wasn't just any old pendant, either. This pendant had the power to cloak any creatures aura from vampires, whose sense were powerful enough to sense anything near them even if they tried to suppress it.

She pushed away a wave of guilt as the beautiful sapphire reminded her that she had left Yori behind earlier. She knew that she wouldn't have faced anything worse than harsh words from her irate uncle, but she still should have gone back for her. Her anger had blinded her to anyone else's needs. And now, she was planning on giving away this pendant that had been a special and unique gift to her.

She knew exactly where her uncle would store the young human before his planned show of power to the rest of the slaves. She also knew that he wouldn't have bothered to guard the cell, as he was certain that the other's feared him enough to stay away. It was also a help to her that she hadn't told anyone else about the power that Hanabusa had infused into his gift.

After she was certain that everyone had fallen asleep, she slipped the pendant over her head to hide her aura from any stray vampire. Any one of them could get up for blood at any time, but they wouldn't be able to sense her.

She deftly moved through the manor that she had grown up in, heading directly to the cells. As expected, there was no one here to guard them. She grabbed the keys off the hook and descended. She carefully passed the empty cells until she found the terrified boy in the final one.

His head snapped up as he heard the sound of the key in the lock. She could see tears welling up in his eyes, and her heart broke as he scrambled back against the wall. He thought that she was here to kill him. She couldn't blame him. He had been in too much terror to comprehend what was happening around him earlier.

"It's alright. I'm not here to hurt you." She whispered, stepping into the cell and kneeling down in front of the boy. "I'm here to get you out."

He gazed up at her questioningly, not sure whether to trust her or not. She slowly moved her hands up to remove the pendant from her own neck.

"Wear this. It will shield your presence from vampires, so you can escape." She gently placed it over his head, gladdened that he moved to accept it. She took his hand and urged him up. She attempted to suppress her aura before she returned to the manor. If anyone sensed her here, it would be over.

She manoeuvred herself carefully through the various rooms in her suddenly way too large manor. Her senses were on high alert, snapping to attention every time she heard the slightest noise. She was very aware of the small body pressing close to her, the life that she held in her hand. She couldn't fail now.

She let out a small sigh of relief as they finally made it to the front door, undetected. She let go of the boy's hand and fumbled with the lock for a moment, before stepping out into the cool dawn air. She pried the young boy off of her, bending down so that she could make eye contact with him.

"Now, don't take that pendant off, whatever you do. I can't go any further with you; I'll only give you away. You need to run, do you understand me?" She felt his shoulders quivering in her grip. He nodded once.

"Thank you, miss vampire." She smiled softly at him.

"Good luck." With that she let him go, watching him tear quickly across the grounds before disappearing into the wooded area beyond their lawn. Hopefully, he would find humans before he found vampires. She was sure that this wasn't the best course of action, but it was the only one she could think of with the time limit hanging over her head.

She silently wished him luck one more time before she went back inside, and headed back to bed.

-Z-

She awoke to an enraged scream.

"What do you mean he's gone?" Her uncle's voice brought her quickly to consciousness. She heard either her father or her brother answer in a soft mumble; she couldn't make out the words.

"Yuuki had something to do with this. I know she did!" Yuuki heard footsteps heading towards her room and forced herself up just as her uncle slammed open her door.

"Where is the slave boy?" He yelled at her, clearly not caring about her groggy appearance.

"What are you talking about?" She replied, rubbing her eyes a little to rid them of the last remnants of sleep.

"Don't act coy, I know you let him go!"

"Uncle, you're being unreasonable!" Kaname stepped in front of Rido before he could take another step towards Yuuki. She took the opportunity to stand.

"She was the only one in open defiance. She's the only one who would do it!"

"Do you have any proof that she did it, Uncle? It's not like you stationed guards before the cells. Any one of us could have done it." Kaname reasoned. Rido rounded on him.

"Then are you saying that you did it?"

"No, I'm saying that the possibility is there. You can't just blame Yuuki with no proof!"

"All of you, please. Calm down. There's no point being at each other's throat about this. The boy is gone, and there is nothing that we can do about it." Juuri was standing in the doorway, hands on her hips, "and Rido, you shouldn't be charging into Yuuki's room first thing in the evening! What if she had been dressing?"

Rido clearly hadn't considered this possibility, and appeared cowed by Juuri's wrath.

"It's far too early for this. Rido, Kaname, out!" She made a move as if to grab them both by the ears, which prompted them to leave the room on their own. Juuri's ear pinches hurt, as every one of them could attest to.

She turned to her daughter. "I'm sorry about this, Yuuki. You go ahead and get dressed. You father and I will get him under control."

"Thank you, mother." Yuuki let out a sigh of relief as her door was once again closed, and the footsteps were losing volume. She sat herself back on her bed, exhausted before the day had even begun. Could she bring herself to open the curtains and let in the crisp night air?

Well, she would have to face the music sometime. She dragged a crumpled outfit from the foot of her bed and quickly dragged it on. She wasn't going to put too much effort into looking good tonight.

As she reached the final step on her descent, she met her brother who had apparently been waiting for her.

"What are you doing, Yuuki?" He asked her in a harsh whisper. She glowered at him.

"You have no proof that I did anything, remember?"

"I know you, Yuuki. I know that you released him. Did you think of the consequences for yourself even once?" Her glower deepened. She understood that he was only worried about her; her uncle would have it in for her for a while yet, but she couldn't have just stood by and let them murder a child.

"I can't just sit back and let these things happen, not under this roof!"

Kaname sighed, and pulled his sister into a hug.

"You know I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you. And what about Hanabusa and Yori?"

"I understand, Kaname." She returned his hug, "Thank you for protecting me."

She knew that his anger had subsided when she felt a defeated sigh. He looked into her eyes as he let her go.

"Keep on your best behaviour until he calms down."

"Yes sir!" She gave him a mock salute before she said her goodbyes and went to find Yori. That small burst of excitement had been enough for her. Kaname watched her leave; she was certain the worry was still bubbling in his chest.


End file.
